12 Week Weight Loss Challenge

The
12-WEEK
WEIGHT LOSS
CHALLENGE
Real life, real foods,

real results.
................................................... THE 12-WEEK CHALLENGE: REAL RESULTS FOR YOU AND YOUR CLIENTS ...................................................
CONTENT
1 What is Nutrition Pg 04
2 7 Steps to success Pg 10
3 Week 1-12 articles Pg 13
Week 1: Difference between diet Week 7: Take control

and actual nutrition 13 of your environment 32
Week 2: Creating the right mindset 16 Week 8: Eating out and on the go 36
Week 3: How to ensure succes 20 Week 9: Shop for success 39
Week 4: Understanding calories 24 Week 10: Plan ahead 42
Week 5: What are macronutrients 26 Week 11: Create lasting change 45
Week 6: Eliminate the hurdles 29 Week 12: Keeping momentum 49
4 Definitions Pg 53
5 Top 10 nutrition myths Pg 57
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Evolution Nutrition, all rights reserved. 2

INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on taking a huge step towards greater health and liberty.

Over the course of this program, you’ll learn that real nutrition is actually
fairly simple. This book will give you the tools to:
• Cut through the confusion.

• Reduce the stress associated with trying to eat right.
• Make the dietary changes you want.
• Stick to it and get the results you want —
not just next week, or next month, but for a lifetime.
Use this book as your guide. In it, you’ll find a lot of great information and
resources. Go through it at your own pace, come back to it as a reference,
and even share it with your friends and family. This is your book, your
program, and your life. It gives you everything you need to achieve your
results.
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1 What is nutrition?
There is a big difference between the latest fad, or the opinion of the newest
blogger, and a real strategy based on scientific research and proven to get
results. Nutrition is no different.
In taking on anything new, there are always questions. And when it comes to
diets and eating, it’s hard to cut through all of the noise out there. The actual
truth about nutrition, however, is that it’s fairly simple.
REAL, EFFECTIVE NUTRITION FOCUSES ON ONLY FIVE THINGS:
1. Balance
You’re getting the right amount of
the right things and limiting the
things that can have a negative
effect on your health.
2. Calorie Control
This isn’t about just reducing
calories; it’s about making sure you
have the right amount of calories
throughout the day to keep your
system working effectively.
3. Moderation
You don’t take in an excess amount of those things that can have a negative
impact on your health.
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Chapter 1: What is Nutrition?
4. Variety
Ensure proper nutrition but also
eliminate the monotony of a diet.
Variety is the spice of life!
5. Adequacy
Make sure you’re getting all of the
essential nutrients you need to
maintain health and replace what is
lost on a daily or weekly basis.
The meal plan you have in your hands will follow these five guidelines — and
it’s a rock-solid foundation. Even if you stray now and then, by using this
plan as a guide, you will be learning to eat better, and creating the changes
you need to develop and maintain the healthy lifestyle you want over
the long haul. You will continue to see dietary trends and advice on late-night
TV, on blogs and maybe from well-meaning friends. Forget all that and just
keeping coming back to these basics.
Even the best plan will fail if it’s not executed properly. You will improve your
results if you remember that your custom meal plan has been designed to be:
A road map, not a rulebook.

Give your best 80% every day, and even pick a cheat day (probably a
weekend day) to take some liberties. With a little flexibility, you’ll find it easier
to follow your plan on the other days, and, more often than not, you’ll start
doing better on those “cheat” days over time too.
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Used throughout a three

to four week period, even
though it’s a seven-day plan.
Human nature says we like patterns,
so you’ll use the plan as a guide day-
to-day and week-to-week for a while.
It’s typical that around week four,
two things will happen: you’ll begin
to want a something new; and the
results you’re creating in your weight/
body composition and activity level will
produce new recommended calculations
that will require a new meal plan.
OK, you’ve got your own customized meal plan, and you’re committed to
following through with it, but you can boost your odds of success by
knowing the five key factors about what we’re putting in our bodies:
FIRST, THE MACRONUTRIENTS
1. Carbohydrates
The main purpose of carbohydrates is to give us the energy we need to
fuel our activities. This energy comes from the breakdown of starches and
sugars to their simplest forms, which your cells can then easily convert to
usable power. Although protein and fat can also supply you with energy, your
cells prefer the calories from carbohydrates. Remember: carbs can come from
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fruits, vegetables, grains — not just the doughnut everyone’s afraid of. In fact,
some organs – your brain and kidneys, for example – have a specific need for a
carbohydrate fuel source.
2. Protein
Found in meats, milk, eggs, soy, legumes and whole grains, protein supplies
your body with a pool of amino acids — the building blocks of all your cells.
As part of muscle, bone and skin tissue, it supports your body’s structure.
It also repairs cells if they become damaged and provides antibodies to cope
with inflammation and infection. Your dietary protein helps keep your cellular
machinery running smoothly.
3. Fat
Fat supplies more than twice the
calories per gram as protein or
carbohydrates and is a highly
concentrated source of energy your
body can store for later. It provides
structure to cell membranes and
cushions your internal organs to
help prevent damage to tissues.
Fat serves as a vehicle for delivering
vitamins, and it can store these
nutrients as insurance against a deficiency. Dietary fats can come from both
animal and plant sources, with plant-based foods, nuts and fish offering a
healthier version.
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4. Vitamins and Minerals

These are small-molecule food components
you need in order to support your health.
Vitamins are involved in energy production,
healing wounds, eye and skin health,
bone formation and immunity. Minerals
provide structure to your skeleton, maintain
your cardiovascular health, and help transmit
nerves. Eating a well-balanced diet with a
variety of fruits and vegetables helps ensure
you have plenty of these nutrients in your body.
5. Water and Fluid

Of the all nutrients in foods, the most
important is water or fluid. It assists with
maintaining normal body temperature,
lubricates and cushions your joints,
protects your spinal cord and removes
wastes through urination, perspiration,
and bowel movements. You need water
to replace what your body loses through
normal everyday functions.
All of your plans balance these five

factors to make sure you’ve got a
complete solution.
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NOW FOR A DEEPER DIVE INTO THE SCIENCE BEHIND YOUR MEAL PLAN.
You meal plan falls within the Acceptable Macronutrient Distribution Range
(AMDR) outlined by The Institute of Medicine of The National Academies, as
referenced in the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs). This is a fancy way of saying
they have the right things in them, in the right amounts.
They also subscribe to the accepted approach of No Bad Foods.
“ Remember, there are no bad foods, just healthier ones to eat

regularly. Weight loss requires a commitment to change your lifestyle.
Keep up the exercise as it increases your metabolic rate and helps
maintain your muscles, which burn more calories than body fat does.
Jaime Ackerman Foster, MPH, RD, LD
Extension Nutrition Associate, The Ohio State University
”
This is the big one. You shouldn’t be worried about the occasional treat, or,
barring real health issues, even carbs, gluten, soy, or whatever the latest blog
has told us to fear. The real impact of food comes from regular patterns and
behaviors. A slice of cake now and then is a great thing to enjoy, but cake for
breakfast everyday wouldn’t be the way to go.
Nutrition, like exercise, takes effort if you’re going to get results. Your job is to
do better today than yesterday. Keep it simple, and keep moving forward,
and you’ll make changes that will last a lifetime.
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2
CHAPTER
Seven steps to success
You want yourself to succeed. The good news is: you’re already on your way.
The fact that you’re already working to hit your goals means the hardest step,
committing, is already behind you.
WHEN IT COMES TO NUTRITION, WHAT’S THE BEST WAY

TO ENSURE YOU’VE GOT EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO SUCCEED?
1. Keep it simple
As we’ve already talked about in our What is Nutrition guide, there is a lot of
misinformation and noise out there. Virtually everyone who walks into a gym
can give you some sort of advice on what to eat, when to eat, how cavemen
lived, why fish are never fat,….. the list goes on.
But, as we’ve outlined, real nutrition is fairly simple.
No matter what you hear, read, find on a blog,
whatever — it’s critical to return to the basics. This
is about making a change that will last, but you
won’t want to take it on if it’s too complicated or
confusing.
2. Stay consistent
Just like you can’t buy a set of dumbbells and
walk away, you can’t just print out a meal plan
and expect results. Put in regular effort and
celebrate your wins.
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Chapter 2: Seven steps to success
3. Use your trainer

You came to them because of their expertise, but they’re also there to be
your coach. You’ve paid them with your hard-earned money, so ask them for
help, tell them what you think, and use them to get what you want:
Tell them how well you are following it.

This is about your trainer grading you on your homework; this is a chance to
celebrate any change you’re making.
Tell them how you’re feeling.

What do you like, what you don’t
like, if you are sleeping better,
whether or not you have more
energy — anything, really. You are
making a lifestyle shift. There are
going to be changes. Acknowledge
that, focus on your wins, and your
trainer will help you adapt your plan
as needed going forward.
Tell them what you like and don’t like about the plan.
There’s no way for them to make the changes you want unless they know
what is and isn’t working for you.
4. Be your own cheerleader

Remember: just like working out, this is not about doing it perfectly; it’s
about doing it better than you were doing before. With each new small
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Chapter 2: Seven steps to success
step, you’re heading towards the overall

goal, which is a change that will last
forever. Don’t focus on the days you
cheat, or the things you don’t like.
Celebrate the fact you’re doing
this. Over time, you’ll learn to love
the change and be more and more
committed to the details.
5. Follow the program

You know what exercises you’re doing each week, and why. The same goes
for your meal planning. Remember: the combination of exercise and nutrition
is more than 400% more effective than exercise alone, so if you’re going to
succeed, you’ve got to tackle your nutrition too. Luckily for you, we’ve given
you the framework.
6. Build on the changes you’re making

Example: if you typically don’t eat breakfast but are starting to now, keep
it going, and focus on the next change. What’s the only way to eat an
elephant? One bite at a time.
7. Keep the momentum going

This is not a diet with an end point, this is a new approach to healthy living,
and you want to ensure you keep the momentum going. If you’re seeing
results, the decision should be a simple one. Keep working out and keep
eating right.
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Week 1-12 Articles: Week 1

3 The difference between diet and actual nutrition
Author: Lauren Rezende, M.P.H., RD. Lauren is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in public
health from the University of California, Los Angeles and a bachelor’s degree in foods and nutrition from
San Diego State University. Prior to joining Evolution Nutrition, Lauren worked in restaurant nutrition,
clinical dietetics and held college-level teaching positions at San Diego State University and community
colleges, teaching sports nutrition, advanced nutrition and food science courses.
Nutrition planning accounts for 85-90%

of the results of any fitness program.
Therefore, when you start any new meal
plan, it’s critical you understand what is
actually being provided. Should it be viewed
as simply a temporary diet, focused on the
premise of ‘restriction’ to help you reach
a short-term goal, or is it a way to better
understand actual, true nutrition that can
help you make better choices for the rest of
your life?
The answer, of course, is the latter.
The origin of the word ‘diet’ is as a noun that is purely a description of the
food one eats. Out of 11 definitions of the word in a dictionary, the first six are
as nouns, four are as verbs, and one as an adjective. The verb and adjective
definitions are from more modern uses of the word, to ‘diet’ or ‘dieting’. As
a noun, the original word is purely a description of the food that you eat, and
among nutrition professionals it’s the most typical use of the word. However
a more modern use of the word ‘diet’ includes ‘a selection or limitation in
what someone eats.’
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Chapter 3: Week 1 - The difference between diet and actual nutrition
In our society, the word ‘diet’ in common public usage often means restriction.
When thinking about actual nutrition, you need to know it doesn’t necessarily
mean restricting what you eat. This is about creating a food plan to
help support your physical goals, which may include health, strength,
independence, physical and mental performance, or weight management.
The Evolution Nutrition (EN) meal plan component of this challenge provides
the cornerstone for helping you understand what actual nutrition is, versus
just a diet.
REAL, EFFECTIVE NUTRITION FOCUSES ON

FIVE ESSENTIAL COMPONENTS:
1. Balance
You’re getting the right amount of the right
things, and limiting the things that can have
a negative effect on your health.
2. Calorie Control
This isn’t about just reducing calories,
it’s about making sure you have the right
amount of calories throughout the day to
keep your system working effectively.
3. Moderation
This ensures you don’t take in an excess amounts of things that can have a
negative impact on your health.
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Chapter 3: Week 1 - The difference between diet and actual nutrition
4.Variety
This helps to ensure proper nutrition, but also helps eliminate the monotony
of a diet. Variety is the spice of life!
5. Adequacy
This makes sure you’re getting all of the essential nutrients you need to maintain
health and replace what is lost on a daily or weekly basis.
All of the meal plans you will see were built on the foundation of these five
principles. More importantly they are the only things you should be focused
on from Day 1, and throughout your journey towards better heath,
however you define it.
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3 Creating the right mindset
Author: Tom Stacey, Marketig Consultant. Tom is a marketing consultant who specializes in
developing the unique story you need to communicate with your perfect customer. He has worked
with Hewlett-Packard, Robbins Research International, Qualcomm, Nutrition Business Journal,
OneCoach and many others, in helping them clearly communicate their value in a cluttered world.
“We are what we repeatedly do.

Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”
-Aristotle
Do you ever hear that inner voice that says things like:
I don’t have time. I’m too tired.

The gym is too far.
It’s not going
You know what,
to matter if
srew it!
I skip today.
This is the quitter inside. Everyone has a quitter inside. It’s a self-critical
doubter, and when you listen to it, it gets louder until it drags you down like an
anchor and keeps you pinned in place for years, as it does with most people.
Have you decided that you are not going to listen to that voice anymore?
Good, here’s how this works: First, you over-rule the quitter in your head.
You shout it down and win the battle day by day, until eventually that voice
goes so silent that you can’t even hear its echo anymore. Because now,
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Chapter 3: Week 2 - Creating the right mindset
instead of being stuck (or worse,

in a downward spiral), you’re in an
upward cycle: You feel, look and
perform better, and excuses don’t
even cross your mind anymore,
because you’re completely
committed to the daily habits
that are changing your life
for the better.
How do you get there? It’s no

secret. Developing the mindset
to change your life starts with
creating your own compelling
vision of the future. Is it easy? No.
It takes guts to imagine life as you
really want it. Because let’s face it,
there’s comfort in having excuses.
Embracing the quitter within is easy

and comfortable. You just park
yourself in your familiar spot on the couch and keep eating and flipping channels.
Change, on the other hand, is uncertain. And uncertainty is scary. Getting up

and doing something is hard; you don’t know if you’re going to reach your
goal. For most people, doing nothing is easier than risking failure, so they
don’t even try to change.
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That’s not you, or you wouldn’t even be reading this. Congrats on making it
this far. You’ve decided to make positive changes, and you’re sick of doing
nothing. Your vision of the future is what is going to get you off the couch
– so that vision has to be good. Make it sharp and focused on the specific
outcomes you want, and see yourself taking the daily actions that will get
you to those outcomes. Presumably it’s a future in which you:
• Have more energy

• Enjoy better relationships
• Feel, look and perform better
• Get more of what you
really want
What are the sounds, smells, sights

and tastes of your life when all of
these are lined up? Can you picture it?
This is your vision of the future. It’s the raw material of motivation, and while
that gets you started, it’s not enough. You must make new habits. This
is where your fitness professional will help you by holding you accountable,
sharing expertise, and showing you how to take the right steps, in the right
order, and helping you sustain the day-to-to-day effort required to get
you there.
In addition to that support and reinforcement, you must also bring your own
unshakeable belief that you were born for this, that you are the kind of person
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who can silence the quitter inside, take action and beat the odds. Your
natural state is the opposite of fragile; nothing knocks you sideways, you
overcome obstacles and achieve things that used to be impossible.
This is who you really are; you just had to be reminded, right? Listen to the
guidance and expertise of your fitness professional. Change your daily
habits around food, exercise and your thought processes. Stop
listening to the quitter inside and identify with the champion you really are.
This is how you turn your vision into reality.
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3 How to ensure success
Here’s where the rubber meets the road. The right mindset, the vision and the
belief are a must to get started, but to ensure success you need some tangible
nuts and bolts to hold it all together and keep you headed in the right direction.
This is where honesty is a must -- honesty with yourself and honesty with your
personal trainer about what specifically you want to achieve and how you’re
going to get there.
HERE’S HOW TO TAKE YOUR VISION AND MAKE IT REALITY:
Be honest about your time.

Succeeding at your health goals depends on realistic time commit-ments.
This is real life and real life is busy. Set yourself up for success by answering
these questions:
• How much time can I commit to my workouts?

• How much time can I commit to meal prep and cooking?
• Am I committing time to other activities that aren’t a priority or working
against my goals?
• Am I overcommitting?
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Chapter 3: Week 3 - How to ensure success
Having these answers will help you align your priorities and your trainer to
develop the best fitness and nutrition program for your goals.
Set realistic goals.

It’s tempting in the intense glow of a motivated moment to set BIG and
unrealistic goals. Resist the temptation! Instead, work with your personal
trainer to set SMART goals that are achievable and realistic based on your
unique situation and time commitment:
• It’s not realistic to lose 10 pounds

in one week. It is realistic to aim
for 10 pounds in one month.
• It’s not realistic to spend two

hours in the gym every day when
you work full time and have a
family. It is realistic to aim for one
hour most days of the week.
• It’s not realistic to drop your body

fat by 5% without changing your
diet. It is realistic to lose 5%
of your body fat by following an
expertly designed nutrition
program in conjunction with a
consistent fitness program.
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Goals are designed to motivate not frustrate. Making yours realistic is

key to sustained motivation and ultimate success.
Schedule your priorities.

Based on your goals and program, identify the tasks you need to complete
each week to stay on track towards achieving your goals. Now start treating
them like appointments. Make them a priority by giving them a place in
your calendar and don’t even think about skipping or cancelling. These new
appointments on your calendar may include:
• Meal prep for the next day or week

• Workouts at home or at the gym
• Training sessions with your personal trainer
• Meal and fitness tracking
• Check ins with your support network
Shifting your mindset about these

routine tasks to a solid and scheduled
commitment can significantly reduce
the chance that they’ll be pushed off
derailing your progress.
Practice positive thinking.

This goes back to having the right
mindset, not just when you’re getting
started on your journey, but throughout
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your program. It takes practice and it takes a conscious effort every day.
Spend some time each day reaffirming your vision for success, what it looks
and feels like. Tune in to your belief that you’ll succeed at this goal you’ve
set for yourself. The more you think it, the more you believe it. The more
you believe it, the more likely you are to succeed. Schedule the time in your
calendar if you have to.
Don’t leave your success to a dream and chance. Use these strategies to
make a solid and sustainable plan that will ensure your success!
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3 Understanding calories
The term ‘calories’ has many levels

and applications, from the calories
we eat, to the calories we burn
through exercise. In order to get a real
understanding of the term, a good
place to start is with how it’s defined.
The official definition of a calorie is

”…the amount of heat needed to
raise the temperature of a liter of
water 1 degree.” But in in simplest
terms it’s the energy to perform work. Energy in this case is not simply
the subjective feelings one experiences (lack of energy meaning ‘tired’),
but literally the fuel that every cell in your body needs at any given time
throughout the day. Yes, every cell! With fitness and exercise, a frequent
misconception is that calories are only needed to fuel muscles and recovery.
In reality, recovery and re-achieving energy balance pertains to your body as
a whole, including muscular, immune, digestive and cardiovascular systems.
Achieving energy balance then relates to your body as a whole, and it is the
true meaning of optimal health. This is one of the most important messages
your clients can learn during this program.
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Chapter 3: Week 4 - Understanding calories
Calories are essentially the fuel body weight, the calories consumed
that your body needs to function (from foods) must be balanced by
optimally. Half of the equation for the calories used (in normal body
your body’s energy balance (calories functions, daily activities, and exercise).
in vs calories out) is the cornerstone of Then for any desired change to body
Evolution Nutrition. ‘Calories-in’ relates composition (weight loss/gain for
solely to the calories obtained from example), a change in this balance is
food throughout the day, and ‘calories necessary, such as creating a positive
out’ refers to your body’s total energy (more energy in) or a negative balance
expenditure. There are three primary (more energy out). The optimal way
components that make up your to approach this is from both sides,
body’s energy expenditure: with fitness AND nutrition. So the new
balance is achieved by adjusting both
• basal metabolic rate (BMR) how many calories you are consuming,
• energy expended during exercise as well as how many calories you are
• the thermic effect of food expending.
(energy required to digest food)
Studies have shown that including
Adding these three components nutrition interventions with fitness
together is the most accurate way of training for weight loss is 400% more
determining how many calories your effective than with fitness training
body requires each day. When energy alone! This combo is the cornerstone
consumed and energy expended of the EN weight loss challenge and
are close ON AVERAGE from day to is best combo to help anyone achieve
day, then one is in energy balance. To their health or fitness goal.
remain in balance and maintain your
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3 Macronutrients and water
Carbohydrates
• The main purpose of carbohydrates is to give us the energy we need to fuel
our activities. This energy comes from the breakdown of starches and sugars
to their simplest forms, which your cells can then easily convert to usable
power. Although protein and fat can also supply you with energy, your cells
prefer the calories from carbohydrates.
• Remember, carbs can come from fruits, vegetables, grains, not just the
doughnut everyone’s afraid of, and, in fact, some organs – your brain and
kidneys, for example – have a specific need for a carbohydrate fuel source.

Protein
• Found in meats, milk, eggs, soy, legumes and whole grains, proteins supply
your body with a pool of amino acids; the building blocks of all your cells. As
part of muscle, bone and skin tissue, protein supports your body’s structure.
• It also repairs cells if they become damaged and provides antibodies to cope
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Chapter 3: Week 5 - Macronutrients and water
Fat
• Fat supplies more than twice
the calories per gram as protein
or carbohydrate and is a highly
concentrated source of energy your
body can store for later. It provides
structure to cell membranes and
cushions your internal organs to
help prevent damage to tissues.
• Fat serves as a vehicle for delivering vitamins, and it can store these
nutrients as insurance against a deficiency. Dietary fats can come from
both animal and plant sources, with plant-based foods, nuts and fish
offering a healthier version.
Water and Fluid (Hydration)

• Of the all nutrients in foods, the most important is water or fluid.
• It assists with maintaining normal body temperature, lubricates and

cushions your joints, protects your spinal cord and removes wastes
through urination, perspiration, and bowel movements. You need water to
replace what your body loses through normal everyday functions.
• The easiest way (and pretty accurate) to assess water needs

is simply to monitor thirst.
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Chapter 3: Week 5 - Macronutrients and water
Thirst is the subjective experience that you feel when your hydration levels
begin to drop. However, thirst always lags behind actual hydration
status, so in many instances by the time you feel moderate thirst, it’s too
late to catch up. Especially if you’re exercising in a warm environment.
THERE ARE SOME HELPFUL HYDRATION HINTS THAT ARE GOOD

TO HELP PREVENT DEHYDRATION:

• Drink 17-20 ounces

of water two hours before
the start of exercise.

of fluid every
10-20 minutes
during exercise.

of fluid for every pound
of body weight lost
after exercise.
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3 Eliminate the hurdles
Author: Tom Stacey is a marketing consultant who specializes in developing the unique story you
need to communicate with your perfect customer. Tom has worked with Hewlett-Packard, Robbins
Research International, Qualcomm, Nutrition Business Journal, OneCoach and many others, in
helping them clearly communicate their value in a cluttered world.
“Obstacles are those frightful things you see

when you take your eyes off your goal.”
-Henry Ford
Many people resist making any effort to change their lives. Why? They believe it
will take years of difficult work. Lose weight, get in shape? It’s going to be hard,
so why even try?
In reality, it takes just a moment to change your life. That moment when you
decide to commit and follow through on your vision of a more compelling future.
Your vision and commitment are the foundation that will lead to a better quality
of life. But like any foundation, this is not enough. You need structures in
place that will enable you to change your behavior day to day. What kind
of structures? The right resources, the right people, and the right attitude.
And here’s a great start: Customized exercise and meal planning from a certified
personal trainer; and your own persistence and determination.
Changing your life is not about wish fulfillment, and it requires more than
positive thinking. Motivation might get you started, but you must keep yourself
on track, which is a lot easier when you have your personal trainer in your
corner. It also helps to be a realist who recognizes that anything worthwhile
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Chapter 3: Week 6 - Eliminate the hurdles
is not easy. Despite all your determination and perseverance, you are going
to have setbacks. You’re going to make mistakes, and have failures. There
will be days when you just don’t feel like it. What, besides the force of your
willpower, is going to help you push through? The structures you put in place.
Here are some things you can do to clear the hurdles you are bound to face
on your way to better fitness:
Define your goals

Lose five pounds? Please. Make it a little harder than you think you can
attain, and then go for it. Develop strength? Let’s get a little more detailed.
Talk to your trainer about your goals and how to measure
your progress going forward.
Develop a detailed plan and stick to it

Are you going to do push muscles on Monday, pull muscles Tuesday, cardio
on Wednesday? What are you going to eat and when are you going to eat it?
How hard is hard enough? How much rest do you need? Consult your trainer
and develop plans of attack for exercise, eating, rest and so on.
Manage your time

Align your day to get your most important things done. Eat, sleep, work,
exercise, family time, down time. Obsessive-compulsive? You bet.
The way to achieve your goals is to get obsessed and stay obsessed.
Take control
Are Doritos a trigger? Banish them from the house. Be just as scrupulous
about what you tolerate in your mental environment: Pay attention to the
self-talk that guides your focus. Are you labeling yourself unfairly?
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Chapter 3: Week 6 - Eliminate the hurdles
Ignoring the positives and dwelling on the negatives? Being aware of your
mental habits is the first step to changing them.
Celebrate your wins

Develop a ritual celebration for when
you reach an important milestone.
A trip to Starbucks? A dessert
cheat? Your favorite craft beer? In the
meantime you have daily milestones
to celebrate along the way. The feeling
you get after a hard workout is its
own reward. Get in the habit of giving
yourself a well-earned pat on the back.
Commit to constant improvement As you get stronger and more fit, you
become more capable, and your progress accelerates. Now you are taking
control of your destiny and living the life you want. Trust your trainer to get
you on the right track, and then follow the daily habits that are going to
reward you with the outcomes you want. This is about developing new life
habits, which is not always easy. If it was, everyone would do it, right? The fact
is, everyone has a quitter inside, and a bad-ass inside too. Which one are you
going to identify with?
Create a vision, and put structures in place to achieve it.

Be ready to adjust, adapt and overcome. As trite as it sounds, you must
seize the day, every day. Starting today!
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3 Take control of your environment
When we look at your daily schedule and

routine it’s safe to assume you can list three
environments that comprise most of the
places where you will be eating; eating
at home, eating at work, or eating out.
There are specific ways to manage these
three spots that will help you gain control,
not only of your environment, but more
importantly gain control of your results.
General mealtime environment

A good starting point is controlling any mealtime environment. Here are some
great ways to start.
• Fill half of your plate with vegetables, a quarter with lean protein,
and a quarter with starch.
• Use smaller plates, bowls and glasses.
A smaller portion will look large when it is in a little dish.
• Politely refuse second helpings.
• When fixing your plate, limit portions of food to one scoop/serving or less.
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Chapter 3: Week 7 - Take control of your environment
During the week, the majority of time (for most people) is spent at home or
at work. Both of these environments provide opportunities to stray a bit from
your eating plan, but there are proven techniques that will help you stay
on track.
Home environment
• Serve your plate of food at the
stove or kitchen counter. Do not
put the serving dishes on the table.
If you do put dishes on the table,
remove them immediately when
finished eating.
• Eat only while sitting down at the
kitchen or dining room table. Do
not eat while watching television,
reading, cooking, talking on the
phone, standing at the refrigerator
or working on the computer.
• Keep tempting foods out of the house — don’t buy them.
• Keep tempting foods out of sight. Have low-calorie foods ready to eat.
• Have healthy snacks at your disposal, such as small pieces of fruit,
vegetables, canned fruit, pretzels, low-fat string cheese and nonfat
cottage cheese.
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Work environment
• Do not eat at your desk or keep tempting snacks at your desk.
• If you get hungry between meals, plan healthy snacks and bring them
with you to work.
• During your breaks, go for a walk instead of eating.
• If you work around food, plan in advance the one item you will eat at
mealtime.
• Make it inconvenient to nibble on food by chewing gum, sugarless candy
or drink water or another low-calorie beverage.
• Do not work through meals. Skipping meals slows down metabolism
and may result in overeating at the next meal.
Eating out and social eating

The last environment is social eating
or eating out, and is many peoples
downfall. Recent statistics have
shown that the average frequency
of dining out has continuously risen
over the last decade, and many
Americans and families choose to
eat out upwards of three to five times
per week. Temptations may be even
greater than any other time during
the day, and with the influence of
company this can sometimes lead to some pretty bad choices for nutrition.
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WITH THE FOLLOWING TIPS, YOU CAN GREATLY IMPROVE

YOUR EATING HABITS, ANYWHERE!
• Do not arrive hungry. Eat

something light before the meal.
• Try to fill up on low-calorie foods,
such as vegetables and fruit,
and eat smaller portions of the
high-calorie foods.
• Eat foods that you like,
but choose small portions.
• If you want seconds, wait at least
20 minutes after you have eaten
to see if you are actually hungry
or if your eyes are bigger than
your stomach.
• Limit alcoholic beverages. Try a soda water with a twist of lime.
• Do not skip other meals in the day to save room for the special event.
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3 Eating out and on the go
Let’s face it, you don’t live in a bubble.
In a perfect world you’d be able to blink and have your nutritionally perfect
meal appear, whenever and wherever, but that’s not real life. Success in
the real world requires concrete strategies to not only keep you on track in
achieving your health, fitness and nutrition goals, but also to support you in
maintaining those achievements for the long term.
Navigating the world away from home is a big piece of the nutrition success
puzzle. Away from the safety of your well-stocked fridge, it can be an often-
confusing test of willpower to eat on plan.
It doesn’t have to be. These strategies for

healthy eating away from home can set
you up for success wherever you may find
yourself.
On the go
Life can be pretty hectic and that isn’t going
to change to accommodate your health
goals. Whether it’s an appointment that
runs long, a last-minute meeting, rush-hour
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Chapter 3: Week 8 - Eating out and on the go
traffic or an unexpected wave of hunger, life is going to throw it all at you. Be

prepared for those curve balls with healthy, ready-to-eat snacks that fit within
your meal plan. Nuts, fruit and protein bars are all an easy fit into any bag
and satisfy hunger when you need to eat RIGHT NOW.
Travelling
Don’t fall into the common travel trap of throwing
your nutrition plan goes out the window. This
mindset can sabotage your best efforts and who
wants to start from square one after vacation?
It’s easier now than ever to make your nutrition
program a priority when travelling, thanks to the
availability of health-conscious hotel amenities,
healthy food choices on the road and nutrition
information just about everywhere.
Here’s how
• Take advantage of hotel refrigerators to store healthy snacks such as low-fat
yogurts and fruit. The hotel staff is usually happy to point you towards
the nearest market to stock up.
• Make meal plan-friendly choices at the breakfast buffet such as whole-grain
cereals, hard-boiled eggs, skim milk and fruit.
• Choose restaurants near your hotel and on the road that offer nutrition
information and healthful meals that are calorically equivalent to the meals
within your plan.
• From airports to hotels to restaurants, stick to healthful ingredients like lean
proteins, whole grains and vegetables.
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Chapter 3: Week 8 - Eating out and on the go
Restaurants
Restaurants may be the first thing you’re tempted to forgo to stay on your
plan, but giving up eating out entirely is going to be a pretty tough strategy
to maintain in the long run.
INSTEAD, FOLLOW THESE TIPS TO ENJOY EATING OUT

WITH YOUR HEALTH GOALS IN MIND:
• Make special requests – Ask for high calorie sauces, dressings, condiments
and toppings on the side.
• Choose meals with lean protein, vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy, and/or whole
grains.
• Stick to water and tea that refresh with far fewer calories
than soda, juice and alcoholic beverages.
• Split meals with a friend or ask for a to-go box
to keep large restaurant portions in check.
• Avoid fried foods that are often high-calorie
choices providing little nutritional value.
• Ask about preparations: Is it baked, broiled, fried?
Is it cooked in oil or butter?
• Ask to see the nutrition infor-mation now available at many restaurants.
Forget the deprivation. When it comes to living healthy and making day-
to-day choices in the real world, it’s all about preparation and concrete
strategies to achieve your health and fitness goals.
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3 Shop for success
Errands, errands, and more errands! Grocery store shopping doesn’t have to be
yet another dreaded errand. Think of it instead as a place that can help you meet
your goals when you choose some of the healthy foods your store has to offer.
Enjoy exploring new foods as you learn about nutrition along the way. Follow
these simple tips for successful grocery store shopping:
Never arrive on an empty stomach

If you do, everything the store has to offer will be tempting. If you arrive to the
store without being famished you will be less likely to give into temptation and
much more likely to make healthful choices and stick to your shopping list
instead. That brings us to tip #2...
Bring a shopping list

Whether it is typed into the notes on
your smartphone or on a sticky note,
having a list will help you stay on track
with what it is you plan on eating for
the week. Your Evolution Nutrition
meal plan makes grocery shopping
even easier by including the shopping
list at the end of your plan. Not only
will bringing a list help you stick with
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Chapter 3: Week 9 - Shop for success
your meal plan, it will also help to keep your budget in check since you won’t be
buying food items you don’t need.
Shop the perimeter of the store

Most of the items in your meal plan will be located around the perimeter of the
store. That’s usually where you will find the fresh fruits and vegetables, low fat
dairy products, and meat, fish and poultry. You will still need to stop by the
center aisles to find other items from you list, such as whole grains and almond
or peanut butter.
Add it to your calendar

Along with your next training session, go ahead and add the next planned
grocery store trip to your calendar. This way, instead of making an excuse
for not going to the store, you are more likely to go. Choose a day and time
that works well with your schedule, maybe your day off so that you don’t talk
yourself out of going after a long day at work. Try to be consistent with your
grocery store shopping and before you know it, it will be part of your weekly
routine.
Waste not, want not

Now that you have spent time doing
your grocery shopping, don’t just
throw everything in the fridge. Instead,
wash the fresh produce so it is ready
to use. Chop or dice produce like
carrots and celery ahead of time.
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Chapter 3: Week 9 - Shop for success
If you purchase extra chicken or meat, portion the excess into freezer bags and
freeze for future use. Taking these extra steps when you arrive home from the
store will make it less likely to have expired meat and wilted produce in your
fridge at the end of the week.
Look at the nutrition facts

Don’t blindly put items into your cart
even if they sound healthy or make
healthful claims on the packaging.
Use the nutrition facts panel to
help you make informed choices.
Keeping nutrients like trans fat, for
example, out of your cart and diet
is always a good idea. Generally
speaking, avoiding items with long
ingredient lists is also a good plan.
Choose wholesome, less-processed
ingredients as your nutritional
foundation.
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3 Plan
Planning ahead will help yield positive results! Gone are the days of waiting until
the last minute to decide what you are going to eat. By then, you are ravenous
and the next stop will be the drive-thru or the microwave to heat up a frozen TV
dinner. As the name implies, your meal plan, will take the guess work out of
your next meal by providing you with a road map of how to eat.
FOLLOW THESE TIPS TO HELP YOU STICK TO THE PLAN:
Shopping
This is the foundation for being able to plan ahead for your meals. Follow the
tips in Week 9 and go grocery shopping on your day off. Purchase and prep
all of the foods you will need for the week.
Pack your lunch the night before

work. Avoid adding one more thing
to do during the morning rush.
Measuring, weighing, or preparing
the items for your lunch the night
before will save you time in the
mornings and ensure you don’t walk
out the door without that brown bag.
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Chapter 3: Week 10 - Plan
Prepare recipes in advance

If your meal plan has recipes, make the recipes in advance during your day
off and keep them in the fridge until you are ready to eat them. On a busy
weeknight, only having to heat up these dishes in the microwave will save
you a lot of time.
Cook more than you are going to eat.

Since the BBQ is already on, you might as well grill a few extra chicken breasts
to use later on during the week. Having these precooked ingredients available
will come in handy later when you are throwing together a stir-fry or needing
a topping for a salad.
Buy in bulk
Purchasing items in bulk is a good way to
save money in the long run. Freeze fillets
of fish or chicken tenders to avoid a last-
minute trip to the store in the middle of the
week.
Stock your freezer

Frozen fruits and vegetables are a great
alternative to fresh produce. They are
inexpensive and last a long time in the
freezer! Make sure you choose the frozen
fruits that have no added sugar and the
frozen vegetables that don’t have any
added sodium or fats.
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Chapter 3: Week 10 - Plan
Stock your pantry

Keep your pantry fully stocked with non-perishable items. Basic ingredients
like canned tomatoes, oats, brown rice, and dried herbs and spices are
always good to have on hand. Also, do not forget condiments such as olive
oil and vinegar.
Purchase produce that is in season

No need to go from store to store trying to
find a particular fruit or vegetable. Instead,
select produce that is in season and easy
to find. Not only does this save you money
in the end, but produce that is in season
tends to taste better too.
Pre-packaged fruits and vegetables

On weeks when you know you will be short
on time, you may want to spend a little
extra money and purchase the prewashed
and prepped vegetables and fruit. Using
the lettuce in a bag will save time when you
go to make that salad for dinner.
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3 Create lasting change
“All meaningful and lasting change starts first in your

imagination and then works its way out.
Imagination is more important than knowledge.”
-Albert Einstein
What is your vision? Get clear on what you want your outcome to be.
Why are you doing it? Sure, you may want to make a change, but if you’re
not clear why, you’re going to lose enthusiasm fast, and some new task is going
to take its place.
Get focused. Strip away everything you can that doesn’t support your vision.
Get honest with yourself. The easiest way for us to do this is by objective
measures. Make them clear yes or nos. Did I eat breakfast? Did I workout
today? Whatever you believe supports your vision. Get honest, and you’ll find
commitment easier to come by.
Take some notes. How is it going, how are you feeling, what support do you
want or need?
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Chapter 3: Week 11 - Create lasting change
When you want to bring about lasting change in your life, you start with
a compelling vision and then add a sense of mission. We all know what it
means to be on a mission: It means you move forward with unrelenting focus
and determination to reach your goal.
Does that sound intense, hard-core? It might be. But how else are you
going to keep your eye on the ball? We live in the age of distraction. Shiny
objects are everywhere, stealing our focus and leading us into alleys of
irrelevance and temptation. Fitness fads and miracle weight-loss formulas
are the tip of the iceberg. Scratch the surface and you’ll discover that unless
you determine your own priorities, there’s a long line of people who will
determine them for you.
So you must decide what you really want. Then, whether you’re saying
‘no’ to the distractions, or ‘yes’ to the goal, having a sense of mission is
a powerful way to make your new habits stick and create the lasting
change you want in your life. When you have a sense of mission, you
have a commitment to something bigger than yourself, and bigger than the
distraction in front of you. Your sense of mission is a promise to yourself.
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You keep that promise, because you believe in your vision of the future.
How do you develop your sense of mission? A mission exists in support of a
purpose. You can get deep and spiritual about this, or if that’s uncomfortable
for you, you can try to keep it superficial. But to uncover your purpose you
must explore and get clear on the question of ‘why?’
• Why do you want to be fit and healthy? Why is it important to you to look
good, feel good and have more energy? (Presumably because you want to
do things and you will be more capable of doing them well. What are those
things you really want to achieve in life – what’s on your bucket list?)
• Why do you want to achieve the things that you want to achieve?
(Is it to distinguish yourself? To advance a particular cause?
To leave a legacy for your family?)
See? It can get deep and spiritual. Or it can simply be practical and
straightforward. But when thinking about the purpose that’s going to drive your
sense of mission, don’t be modest. For your mission to be powerful, it has to
have some juice. Whatever you uncover as your calling, elevate it. Determine that
you are going to be the best you can possibly be, then go for it.
Now you can get down to brass tacks. You can decide what’s really
important in your life, and strip away the rest. When you’re in pursuit of a
goal and a vision, less is more. Be ruthless, be selfish and be disciplined.
Put in place the resources that will enable you to succeed: Your trainer, your
diet and training schedule, your training partners, gym, etc.
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Have the awareness to step back now and then and ask: “Do I really want
to be doing this? Is it helping me achieve the goals I’ve identified as most
important to me?”
You are going to have to make tradeoffs, we all do. But when you are aware of
those tradeoffs you can start to minimize them, and optimize your progress
toward your goals.
We measure our lives by the calendar, day by day. Get in the habit of asking
yourself at the end of the day: What did I do today? Did I make progress
towards my most important goals? Be mindful that the days add up to
months and years, and before you even realize it, decades.
You are improving your health, your relationships, your capabilities. You are
starting to take charge of your life. You have a vision, a mission, a purpose
and a plan. Years from now you will look back and say: “That’s when it all
started.”
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3 Keeping momentum
“I can accept failure; everyone fails at something.

But I can’t accept not trying.”
-Michael Jordan
You’re on your way to better physical fitness: You’ve know where you’re
going, and you’ve got the resources you need to get from here to there:
your vision, mission and purpose as you’ve defined them; a detailed diet
and workout plan; and your trainer to help you implement all of it.
Yet you stall. It happens, right? You work hard, get everything going in the
right direction, generate dramatic results… and eventually your performance
levels off and you hit a plateau.
Or you sustain a small injury, or
just get bored with your routine.
Progress becomes more difficult,
and maybe you get frustrated and
your commitment wanes a bit.
This is just one of the reasons you

have a personal trainer. Someone
you trust, who can remind you
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Chapter 3: Week 12 - Keeping momentum
why you‘re doing this and can help

reinvigorate your workout, refocus
you and keep it fresh and fun.
While this is an important part of what
your fitness professional delivers,
remember that you’re working together;
it wouldn’t be fair to ask your trainer to
shoulder the entire burden of keeping
you motivated and on track.
For your part, you must bring your best effort every day, and maintain
your commitment to constant improvement – even when you hit the plateaus.
This is a matter of your attitude, and that’s on you and no one else. So how
do you keep it positive, and keep yourself moving forward? A common
strategy is to recite or put up posters of inspirational quotes like:
“QUITTERS NEVER WIN

AND WINNERS NEVER QUIT.”
“FALL DOWN FIVE TIMES;

GET UP SIX.”
And so on – you know, the stuff your high school coaches plastered on the
locker room walls. If these speak to you and you can adopt one (or your
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own inspirational insight) as a mantra that works for you, fantastic. But if
your mantra gets tired, or overly simplistic statements just don’t work for
you, here are some things you can do to take control of your mindset
and keep the momentum going.
Remind yourself why you’re doing this.

You committed to better fitness for a good reason – or a lot of them.
Maybe it was to lose weight, or to fight a specific condition. Whether it’s
heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, cancer, depression or a multitude of other
culprits, better fitness will help you fend off disease and live a happier,
healthier, longer life. That alone makes it a habit worth keeping.
Change it up
Maybe you like the predictability of
the same workout. Even so, your
body wants you to do something
different. If you run for cardio, get on
the bike or try the rowing machine.
Is it time to throw in some yoga or
TRX? If you exercise by yourself, try
a boot camp or other class. Consult
your trainer for the smartest way to
add some variety to your routine.
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Bring your curiosity

Achieving better fitness is a journey, and every journey has unknown twists
and turns ahead. As you become more fit and capable, your world changes.
When you are committed to constant improvement, you start looking, even
at a subconscious level, for opportunities to improve – and as improve
physically, you may find impetus to improve in other realms, including
financial, emotional, social, spiritual, etc. Doors that were closed start to
open. Have a sense of wonder, and you’ll start to notice wonderful things.
Express your gratitude.

When you work hard to reach optimal
fitness, you don’t take it for granted.
You’ve earned it for sure, but it’s also a
gift that not everyone has the time and
resources to pursue. Be thankful, and
think about how you can pay it forward.
Your fitness ultimately makes you more

capable of making your mark on the
world. What will you do with that?
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4
CHAPTER
Definitions
ASPECTS OF NUTRITION
Balance
You’re getting the right amount of the right things and limiting the things that can
have a negative effect on your health.
Calorie Control
This isn’t about just reducing calories; it’s about making sure you have the right
amount of calories throughout the day to keep your system working effectively.
Moderation
You don’t take in an excess amount of those things that can have a negative
impact on your health.
Variety
Ensure proper nutrition, but also eliminate the monotony of a diet. Variety is the
spice of life!
Adequacy
Make sure you’re getting all of the essential nutrients you need to maintain health
and replace what is lost on a daily or weekly basis.
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Chapter 4: Definitions
NUTRITIONAL MACRONUTRIENTS
Macronutrients are any of the nutritional components of the diet that are required
in relatively large amounts: protein, carbohydrate, fat.
Carbohydrates
The main purpose of carbohydrates is to give us the energy we need to fuel our
activities. This energy comes from the breakdown of starches and sugars to
their simplest forms, which your cells can then easily convert to usable power.
Although protein and fat can also supply you with energy, your cells prefer the
calories from carbohydrates.
Remember: carbs can come from fruits, vegetables, grains — not just the
doughnut everyone’s afraid of. In fact, some organs (your brain and kidneys, for
example) have a specific need for a carbohydrate fuel source.
Protein
Found in meats, milk, eggs, soy, legumes and whole grains, protein supplies
your body with a pool of amino acids, which are the building blocks of all your
cells. As part of muscle, bone and skin tissue, it supports your body’s structure.
It also repairs cells if they become damaged and provides antibodies to cope

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Fat
Fat supplies more than twice the calories per gram as protein or carbohydrates
and is a highly concentrated source of energy your body can store for later. It
provides structure to cell membranes and cushions your internal organs to help
prevent damage to tissues. Fat serves as a vehicle for delivering vitamins, and
it can store these nutrients as insurance against a deficiency. Dietary fats can
come from both animal and plant sources, with plant-based foods, nuts and fish
offering a healthier version.
VITAMINS
an organic compound essential

in minute amounts essential to
general growth and health.
Vitamins and Minerals

These are small-molecule
food components you need
in order to support your
health. Vitamins are involved
in energy production, healing
wounds, eye and skin health,
bone formation and immunity.
Minerals provide structure to
your skeleton, maintain your
cardiovascular health, and help
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maintain your nervous system. Eating a well-balanced diet with a variety of fruits
and vegetables helps ensure you have plenty of these nutrients in your body.
WATER AND FLUID
Of all the nutrients in foods, the most

important is water or fluid. It assists with
maintaining normal body temperature,
lubricates and cushions your joints,
protects your spinal cord and removes
wastes through urination, perspiration,
and bowel movements. You need water
to replace what your body loses through
normal everyday functions.
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5
CHAPTER
Top 10 nutrition myths
1. Fat is bad.
The fact is: we all need fats. The
trick is to consume fat in mild to
moderate amounts, not in excess.
Fats aid in nutrient absorption and
nerve transmission, and they help to
maintain cell membrane integrity. But
all fats are not created equal. Fats
such as mono- and poly-unsaturated
fats help to lower total cholesterol and
LDL (bad) cholesterol while increasing
HDL cholesterol (the good cholesterol). Foods like nuts, avocado, olive oil,
salmon and fish are all great sources of these healthy fats.
2. Late-night snacking will make you gain weight.

Late-night snacking can lead to weight gain, but it’s not due to the time on
the clock. The trouble is that after-dinner snacking can lead you to eat more
calories than your body needs in a day, especially if you’re having high-calorie
snack foods and sweetened beverages. If you usually get hungry for an
evening snack, try eating dinner a little later. Still hungry? Sip on water with a
squeeze of lemon, or go for small portions of healthy choices, like a piece of
fruit or something similar.
3. Cutting out carbs is the best way to lose weight.

The key message that most low-carb diets promote is that carbohydrates
promote insulin production, which in turn results in weight gain. Cutting carbs
therefore means losing weight, right? WRONG! You might see short-term
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Chapter 5: Top 10 nutrition myths
changes, but these are primarily from a change in water balance (water loss)
with the loss of glycogen (carbohydrate stores). The truth is that low-carb diets
are often calorie-restricted, so it’s creating an overall negative energy balance
(taking in fewer calories than you are using) and promoting weight loss. The
trick is not to totally eliminate carbs, but to choose healthy ones, like fruits,
vegetables, and even legumes (dried beans, peas and lentils), to make sure
you’re getting the healthiest balance of all macronutrients.
4. Fruit has too much sugar and should be cut out

with other sugars in the diet.
It’s true that fruit has naturally occurring sugars, but it is also chock full of
vitamins, minerals and fiber, which are all important for good health. Choosing
more vegetables and fruit, naturally sweetened by Mother Nature, can help you
maintain your weight and reduce your risk of developing chronic diseases. Enjoy
whole, fresh, frozen or canned fruit each day. And aim to limit foods that are
high in added sugars but low in nutrients, like candies, cookies, chocolate treats
and sweetened soft drinks. Try satisfying your sweet tooth with fruit or yogurt
topped with berries.
5. Skipping meals is an easy way to lose weight.

In theory, skipping one meal while keeping everything else in your diet the same
will help you lose weight. But, when you skip a meal, you’re eating pattern
changes and you tend to overeat and overcompensate later (like your late-night
snack) which will likely lead to weight gain. And if you start skipping meals, your
body will start to think you’re in starvation mode and will actually slow down
your metabolism to compensate. When it comes down to it, it’s really about
energy balance (calories in vs. calories out) and meal timing for optimal health
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and fitness. Eating more frequently will actually keep your engine running at its
optimal best.
6. ‘Low-fat’ or ‘fat-free’ means lower calories.

A serving of low-fat or fat-free food may be lower in calories than a serving of
the full-fat product, but most processed low-fat or fat-free foods have just as
many calories as the full-fat versions of the same foods, and often can have
even more. On top of that, many of these foods contain added flour, salt,
starch, or sugar to improve flavor and texture after the fat is removed. This can
offset energy balance as much as any type of food, so being aware of nutrition
labels is critical when grocery shopping.
7. The ‘eight glasses of water per day’ myth.

You should replace water lost through breathing, elimination and sweating each
day, but that doesn’t necessarily total 64 ounces of water. If you’re exercising,
this could in fact be much higher. Water intake needs are as individual as calorie
and energy needs, so it’s best to use
your own body’s signals, like thirst and
urine color, to make sure you’re taking
in enough fluid from foods and liquids.
Remember: a lot of the foods we eat
are full of the water we need.
8. As long as you’re eating healthy

foods, calories really don’t matter.
The most important factor with regards
to calories and weight management is
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energy balance (calories in vs. calories out). The overall principle doesn’t change
all that much depending on the types of foods we eat. Whole-wheat pasta (or
bread, pie crust, whatever) has just as many calories as “regular” pasta. Same
goes for brown and white rice. Avocados, nuts and olive oil deliver heart-healthy
fats — but they are very calorie-dense. Red wine and dark chocolate may be
full of antioxidants, but if you indulge every day without accounting for their
calories, you’re going to gain weight.
9. Going on a diet is the best way to lose weight.

In the short-term, you do lose weight on any plan that results in your eating
fewer calories than you need. But temporary results don’t lead to long-term
results. This is because they are not lifestyle changes; they are a goal on a
calendar. Hence the famous ‘rebound’ weight gain after diets are over. The best
way to lose weight is to view it as one of the outcomes of a new approach to
eating, and understanding nutrition as a major factor of your total health, not
focusing on weight loss as the only goal. No one’s been on a diet forever, but a
lot of people eat right day after day with great results.
10. Healthy food costs more (too much).

With some planning and wise choices, you can create tasty, healthy and
affordable meals. To get the most value, choose foods that are big on nutrients
and low on cost. Many healthy staple foods can be lower-cost items, including
bulk flours and whole grains, in-season fresh produce, eggs, legumes (dried
beans, peas and lentils), powdered milk, and sale-priced frozen or canned
vegetables, fruits and fish. Scanning flyers for specials, stocking up on sale
items and cooking meals from scratch can all save you money.
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The

Real life, real foods,

3 Week 1-12 articles Pg 13

Week 1: Difference between diet Week 7: Take control

Week 3: How to ensure succes 20 Week 9: Shop for success 39

Week 4: Understanding calories 24 Week 10: Plan ahead 42

Week 5: What are macronutrients 26 Week 11: Create lasting change 45

Week 6: Eliminate the hurdles 29 Week 12: Keeping momentum 49

5 Top 10 nutrition myths Pg 57

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Congratulations on taking a huge step towards greater health and liberty.

• Cut through the confusion.

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REAL, EFFECTIVE NUTRITION FOCUSES ON ONLY FIVE THINGS:

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Chapter 1: What is Nutrition?

A road map, not a rulebook.

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Chapter 1: What is Nutrition?

Used throughout a three

FIRST, THE MACRONUTRIENTS

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Chapter 1: What is Nutrition?

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Chapter 1: What is Nutrition?

4. Vitamins and Minerals

5. Water and Fluid

All of your plans balance these five

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Chapter 1: What is Nutrition?

They also subscribe to the accepted approach of No Bad Foods.

“ Remember, there are no bad foods, just healthier ones to eat

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WHEN IT COMES TO NUTRITION, WHAT’S THE BEST WAY

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Chapter 2: Seven steps to success

3. Use your trainer

Tell them how well you are following it.

Tell them how you’re feeling.

4. Be your own cheerleader

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Chapter 2: Seven steps to success

step, you’re heading towards the overall

5. Follow the program

6. Build on the changes you’re making

7. Keep the momentum going

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Week 1-12 Articles: Week 1